In the above title, I added the words is and will be, because this day is not over yet. Past, present, and future, I still have a few more hours in which good things may happen.

If the English language was such, would we be exclusively in the present tense? And who was it that came up with the present and past tense? Was this an evolutionary development

Horses and dogs and goats do think in past tense. If you praise them, they remember this. If you punish them, they remember this as well. They remember what treats taste like, and after eating what they are given, they begin speculating as to when the next one, two, or three packer pellets will be coming their way.

I don’t know about chickens. They are probably more in the present tense than goats, horses, or dogs. I am sometimes appalled by the lack of respect that chickens are accorded.

I do respect all our animals, which is why our place really is a peaceable kingdom. I don’t remember the last time I scolded any of our animals – wait, yes, I do. I yelled at Ryder for chasing the goats. Every single day I tell her how sorry I was that I did this, well knowing that I was going against her instincts. Neither she nor I will ever forget this. It’s too bad that we can’t wipe the slate clean.

Today was/is/will be a good day. It began with me being fraught with anxiety. I quelled my angst by first taking Hrimmi for a walk. I’m not big on asking people for things, but a girl does what a girl’s got to do. I made a dentist appointment, this for unfinished business. Then I asked Melina who is the past president of the BLBP for a letter of support and for contact information for Saltchuk, a past grant funder, and if she’d been stocking the bookshelves at the Mat-Su Health Foundation.

She was agreeable on all counts.

I then went to town and asked the clerk at the Bigfoot Frame shop if I might have some mat scraps, so that I might get a project going with local seniors. The woman at the counter, I didn’t get her name, was rather noncommittal but softened when I passed on two Bigfoot Books.

I next passed on books to the desk clerk at Alaska Family Services. I’d just as soon just drop off the books. She took them, was happy. I will take more, soon.

Lastly, I dropped off books at the Mat-Su Senior Center. I didn’t have to interact with anyone, but a board member, who was playing cards with other seniors, gave me the, what are you doing here look.

Having completed my rounds, I returned to my starting point, the former banquet room of the Historic Eagle Hotel. Good things came about. Pam (project manager) and I had been attempting to figure out how to better label the boxes. She found a box of flashcards with nothing on them in a box of books. Problem solved. We will clip them to the boxes.

Got home, checked my email. I put in a request and am going to be a quest speaker at the Ideas Home school graduation. And I got a call from Leila Peterson, who for her Eagle Scout Project constructed a Tiny Library by the Matanuska River. I’ll meet with her tomorrow, and we’ll talk about our being partners.

So, despite my thinking otherwise, it turned out to be a good day after all.

Next: 4. 1/4/24: Snow Squall